As regulators from the U.S. to South Korea zero in on Apple’s high-margin apps business, Apple may soon be forced to loosen its grip on its App Store.
Daniel Howley for Yahoo Finance:
The EU is expected to approve its Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation that should free developers from Apple’s fees.
Apple contends the App Store, and its fees, protect hundreds of millions of iPhone users from malware and scams. But with the Digital Markets Act seemingly set to become law, and legislators in the U.S. and other countries prepared to take a bat to the company’s App Store practices, Apple might finally lose control of its famed walled garden.
The company collects 15% from developers that make less than $1 million a year, while the larger 30% fee hits developers that make more than $1 million.
Those fees come into effect when developers use Apple’s in-app payment system. The catch is that developers can only use Apple’s payment system. If they try to use their own, Apple will boot their Apps from the App Store like it did to Epic’s “Fortnite.”
Apple, meanwhile, argues that its App Store fees, and strict limits on how users can install apps, come down to the price of maintaining the store and user privacy.
During a November talk at Web Summit, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said that forcing the company to allow users to install apps from third-party sources, known as sideloading, would endanger consumers and hurt Apple’s image… According to Federighi, iOS devices usually don’t get infected with malware because Apple’s App Store is the only place users can get apps for their devices. As a result, Apple vets every iOS app out there, ensuring they aren’t hiding malware.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, if and when Apple is forced to allow sideloading, it can be done in such a way as to protect iPhone and iPad users who enjoy the walled garden and the protections it offers – a major reason why millions upon millions of users chose Apple’s iPhoen and iPad products in the first place.
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What is the US Congress’ motivation to remove iPhone’s protection from viruses?
The device owner should decide if he wants to use Apple or a 3rd party or DIY software, from an open market like the Mac. Stop pretending Apple is always preferred. It is often slow to patch holes. It offers poor user control and transparency. The more popular iOS becomes, the bigger the security target it is. Good luck on that day when when Apple’s iOS wall is breached.
The fairness crowd does not seem to get and I am sure its been said almost every time this comes up, Its Apple’s store, it services the people that purchase Apple products. If you want to sell something on that store, its not free.. It costs Apple of course run the servers and services they provide.
And to allow just anyone to install what they want is ultimately self defeating as the first time a few hundred people or more install something that’s infected, or bricks their device, they’ll be crying “Why didn’t Apple protect us”
This is about selling iOS Apps and not having to go through Apple’s store.
No, BS between the ears. It’s about protecting the devices, first and foremost. Once infected, you have no recourse but to wipe it. A major headache for the average Joe. As Steve said, he “wanted it as simple and reliable as a washing machine.”
Side loading will erase this protection. And to back the notion that people won’t do it, it’s just a pipe dream.
Politicians, who don’t know shit about tech, should avoid legislating. Of course, this applies to almost everything. They should stay away from everything and just leave us the hell alone.
This does not impact you as a user one iota.
If Jobs had that priority, he could have made it for Apple owned software only. So… BS!
This wasn’t feasible for Jobs. Apple couldn’t produce the volume of software needed and they needed third party software for customer acceptance. Again, this has ALWAYS been about security.
They could have purchased the full rights of software from third parties and curated that way. But anyway, that’s not my problem to have solved. They censored property that did not belong to them, both from the user and developer perspective.
No, it’s about the money. Read the fine print in your software user agreement. Apple doesn’t guarantee your privacy or security at all. Stop blindly trusting the marketing.
“Hopefully” MDN?
Guaranteed! No one would force anyone to sideload or shop elsewhere. Unless they want to.
So when can I expect this side loading to be mandated for my Tesla? How about my Roku TV? My Smart fridge? This is nonsense.
If I want to side-load apps I will buy an Android based smartphone or TV product. PERIOD!
I don’t want my phone exposed to some Apple App Store BS induced by some newly allowed side loader virus/ransomware crew who has yet to be discovered by the powers to be………..never mind the millions that might have to be spent in correcting/litigating/disecting the “virus”…..
Enough said….
You don’t actually own a Mac do you?
Everything you incorrectly fear has not been a problem for the Mac.
Why are the people who come here to bitch about freedom so eager to lock themselves in Apple’s increasingly expensive corral? The Mac is the perfect model for how apps can and should be made available to users.
Then don’t. But don’t stop others. You have no right.